Is it a tablet? Is it a phone? Who knows, but one thing's for sure -- it will be the first iPad competitor

They
say size doesn't always matter; so can Dell's spunky
5-inch Streak measure up to Apple's much larger "magical"
9.7-inch iPad? Dell is betting it can and will unleash the
mini-tablet computer in the UK first next month and then will soon
follow up with a summer U.S. launch.

The pint-sized tablet
runs Google's powerful Android OS and represents the first true
challenge to the iPad, which sold over
1 million units in its first month on the market. The
unit packs an equally fast 1 GHz processor and more memory than the
iPad (408 MB of DRAM v. 256 MB of DRAM on the iPad). Unlike the
iPad, it offers swappable batteries and two microSD slots for a total
capacity of 64 GB (with two 32 GB microSD cards), the same as the
iPad.

The slick mini doubles as a jumbo phone or e-book
reader. It comes with 3G functionality and 16 GB of flash
memory built-in. It also packs GPS and two cameras (like the
next generation iPhone or HTC EVO 4G, one is rear facing, one is
front-facing for video chatting).

Pricing has not yet been
announced, but the phone will launch early next month in the UK
through Carphone Warehouse and O2. That launch places it in
position to offer strong competition to the iPad, which hits the UK
on May 28.

The UK launch will be followed later in the month
with a wider rollout across the rest of the European Union.
Then later in the summer -- perhaps in July or August -- the unit
will hit the U.S. market. A U.S. carrier has not yet been
officially announced for the tablet.

Tavis Butler of
Dell comments on
the launch, "This is a data device first and a voice device
second. This is the first in a family of devices."

Indeed,
Dell has a 7-inch and 10-inch designs in store. Those designs are
expected to run Google operating systems, but their hardware specs
remain a mystery at present. Dell is eager to pounce on the
booming tablet market, which analysts predict could become bigger
than the netbook market.

Ben Wood of analyst firm CCS Insight
comments, "This year our estimates suggest that there will be
1.3 billion mobile devices sold around the world. Dell wants to
get into this space. How can any PC maker not afford to?"

Some
analysts are skeptical of the Streak's promise, but some are offering
up glowing praise for the challenger. IDC analyst Will Stofega,
who has tried out the device told Reuters,
"It's portable and mobile. You can put it in your pocket. It
is interesting and infinitely usable."

The Streak will
have full access to the Android Marketplace. This is different
than past Android tablets from smaller manufacturers, which Google
declined to provide help in access the App Market. By gaining
access to Google's 50,000+ app library, the device can offer a
legitimate challenge to Apple's iPad which sports compatibility with
the 150,000+ iPhone apps, and the growing numbers of dedicated iPad
apps.

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